The Best-Tasting Cherry Tomatoes to Grow

Get ready to satisfy your tomato-loving taste buds with the best-tasting cherry tomatoes you can grow in your home garden! In this article, I’ve rounded up the nine most delicious and flavorful cherry tomato varieties, including heirlooms and hybrids, that thrive in the backyard garden and will have you harvesting juicy, sweet, and tangy fruit all season long. From the luscious Black Cherry to the unique and colorful Green Envy, these rainbow cherry tomatoes are sure to elevate your summer meals and snacking. So let’s dive in and discover the best-tasting cherry tomatoes for your home garden!

Meet my gardening passion: cherry tomatoes. Nothing makes this home gardener happier than walking into the backyard and plucking these ripe, juicy jewels from their vines.

For tomato lovers, they’re the perfect tomato eating experience: Sweet, tender, and bite-sized. They’re amazing and healthy afternoon snacks, and make every salad extra special.

I’ve grown over 60 varieties of cherry tomatoes, and I’ve gathered my absolute favorite, best-tasting cherry tomatoes here in this list. They come in every color of the rainbow, and I would be lying if I denied that one of the highlights of summer is the first cherry tomato Caprese salad with homegrown basil and too much burrata (if too much is actually a thing lol).

For home gardeners, growing cherry tomatoes can be a very rewarding crop, as they are prolific producers with a long fruiting season. However, with so many different varieties of cherry tomatoes available, it can be difficult to know which ones are the best tasting and most well-suited for home gardening. So, I hope my own personal list here helps you decide what you might grow this year!

Why Grow Cherry Tomatoes?

Cherry tomatoes are a popular and versatile type of tomato that are prized by tomato lovers for their sweet and tangy flavors, as well as their small snack size and rainbow colors. Cherry tomatoes have many lovely qualities, including:

Flavor: Cherry tomatoes are known for their sweet juiciness and complex flavor profiles. Many varieties stand their ground against even the best standard tomatoes, such as Brandywine and Cherokee Purple. And, let’s be honest: they’re perfect for snacking out in the garden!

Yield: Cherry tomatoes are often more productive and yield more fruit per plant than larger tomato varieties. Because of this volume, you’re more likely to have a constant supply of cherry tomatoes, since it takes less time for a cherry tomato to grow and ripen than a standard tomato.

Versatility: Cherry tomatoes are incredibly versatile and can be used in a wide variety of dishes. They are great for snacking, adding to salads, using in pan sauces for pastas, salsas (of course!), and slicing onto summery sandwiches. Even grilling (think kebabs)!

Nutritional value: Like all tomatoes, cherry tomatoes are a good source of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, potassium, and lycopene. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that has been linked to a reduced risk of certain types of cancer and heart disease.

As both an avid tomato grower and cook, another huge benefit of cherry tomatoes’ long and fruitful growing season are pickled green tomatoes. Yes, green tomatoes are edible, if you’re not sensitive to the alkaloids in nightshade vegetables.

Green tomatoes pickle beautifully and become a treasured snack when the weather grows cold and gray. And I can’t help but love the no-waste use for all of those green tomatoes still left on the plants when the first frost hits.

What is a Brix Rating?

Brix — or degrees Brix — is a measure of sweetness in food, including tomatoes.

To be more precise, Brix is the amount of dissolved sugar in a liquid solution. A degree Brix is equal to one gram in a measure of 100 grams.

Or, to state in other, more real-world terms, if a tomato is 5 degrees Brix, that means that 5% of the tomato is sugar content. The Brix scale, therefore, goes up to 100. Most tomatoes fall into the 5-12 range. For comparison, pure maple syrup is around 68 degrees Brix.

I mention Brix because, for my taste, sweetness is a valued flavor component of fresh tomatoes. Yes, tang and smokiness and umami and all of those other wonderful qualities matter, too. But if a tomato isn’t sweet, it’s just not the best for fresh eating.

I’ll include the Brix rating with each tomato. Note that Brix values can vary in real life, based on growing conditions, but it will give you a good overall view of a tomato’s sweetness profile.

Now let’s get to the list!

Black Cherry

This is my all-time favorite cherry tomato. The top one. I grew them from seed on a whim one season, many, many years ago, and that sealed the deal. For my flavor preferences, these are the best of the best-tasting cherry tomatoes, hands down.

And that’s because heirloom Black Cherry tomatoes are known for their rich, complex flavors that are both sweet and slightly tangy. They have a smoky quality that leans umami. The flavor is often described as more intense and multidimensional than traditional red cherry tomatoes.

The texture of Black Cherry tomatoes is also distinct from other types of tomatoes. They are typically a little smaller in size than other cherry tomato varieties, and their skin is thin and delicate. The flesh is firm and juicy, with a pleasing pop when bitten into.

I also love the colors of Black Cherry tomatoes. Both the skin and flesh range from medium to deep mahogany and the tomato sports dark green shoulders around the stem. They grow in attractive medium-length trusses in clusters around the plant.

Although it was a little time intensive, I’ve made cherry tomato paste from a particularly fruitful harvest of Black Cherries and Violet Jaspers (below) and it was probably the most flavorful cooked tomato product I’ve ever had in my life.

In short, I can’t recommend this variety highly enough. Around here, it’s very difficult to find starter plants, so you might have to grow from seed. It’s worth it.

Details:

• Brix: 9
• Type: Heirloom
• Growth Habit: Indeterminate

Blondkopfchen

Blondkopfchen cherry tomatoes are a small, heirloom variety of cherry tomato that originated in Germany (the name translates to “little blonde-headed girl”). They have a sweet and fruity flavor, with a lovely touch of citrusy tang.

Yellow tomatoes are, in general, known for mild flavors, thanks to their low acidity, and they’re sometimes difficult for tomato fanatics — who are always seeking out the unique and amazing complexities of tomatoes — to love. If you count Sun Gold cherry tomatoes (below) as orange tomatoes, then I definitely rank Blondkopfchen as my favorite yellow.

Blondkopfchens grow in unkempt clusters on medium-tall plants. The tomatoes are small and slightly oblong. They’re also known for their thin and delicate skin, which adds to their tender texture.

The flesh is soft and juicy, with a satisfying burst of flavor in every bite. They’re perfect in salads, as a snack, or as a garnish due to their beautiful bright yellow color and sweet flavor.

Details:

• Brix: 8
• Type: Heirloom
• Growth Habit: Indeterminate

Green Envy

The Green Envy cherry tomato is a unique variety that is bright green in color when ripe, making it a standout in the garden and on the plate. It has a sweet and fruity flavor with a hint of tartness and a juicy, tender texture. They’re less acidic than other cherry tomato varieties and have a gentle sweetness that is balanced out by that tartness.

This cherry tomato is slightly smaller than other varieties, resembling a grape tomato. Green Envy cherry tomatoes have a firm texture that is similar to other cherry tomato varieties.

They’re juicy and have a satisfying crunch when bitten into. Their flesh is tender and easy to chew, making them a great choice for snacking or adding to salads.

As the name suggests, Green Envy cherry tomatoes are a vivid green color. They are fully ripe when they have a deep green color, and the flesh inside is a lighter green. The green color is due to the presence of chlorophyll in the tomato, which gives it a unique and eye-catching appearance.

Green Envy cherry tomatoes are a delicious and unique tomato variety that can add a lot of flavor and visual interest to dishes. I especially love them as part of a rainbow cherry tomato salad!

Details:

• Brix: 8
• Type: Hybrid
• Growth Habit: Indeterminate

Matt’s Wild Cherry

Matt’s wild cherry tomatoes are a small, heirloom variety of cherry tomato that is known for intense flavor and unique texture. The flavor of Matt’s wild cherry tomatoes is often described as being tangy and slightly sour, with a burst of sweetness that balances out the flavor profile.

The texture of Matt’s Wild Cherry tomatoes is also unique, with a thin and delicate skin that adds to their tender texture. The flesh is soft and juicy, with a satisfying burst of flavor in every bite. They are smaller than many other cherry tomato varieties — currant sized, actually — which makes them a popular choice for snacking and using in salads.

One of the reasons that Matt’s Wild Cherry tomatoes are so beloved by tomato enthusiasts is the … well, wild … and unpredictable nature of the plant. Most heirloom tomato plants are vine-y and leggy.

Matt’s Wild Cherry is dense and bushy, but still tall. Late the in the growing season, when heavy with ripe fruit, it looks like a Christmas tree with red lights.

You can see in the photo above how ginormous this plant grows, reaching up to my first-floor gutters, with the air conditioning unit for scale. There are lots of green tomatoes in this photo, but you can see pops of red peeking out here and there.

I really love this tomato for its perfect balance of sweet and tart. And its tiny size makes them the perfect poppable treat.

Details:

• Brix: 9
• Type: Wild (this tomato cultivar is a wild strain)
• Growth Habit: Indeterminate

Midnight Snack

This lovely indigo hybrid was a last-minute addition to my vegetable garden in 2023. I’d been wanting to grow an indigo tomato of some sort for a long time but always got caught in indecisiveness every year, as reports of flavors were rather bland. The older I get, the harder it is for me to willingly grow a tomato I probably won’t want to eat.

But the reviews on this one won me over. And I have to say, it shot straight up to my top five favorite tomatoes of all time, cherry and standard.

Beautiful on the vine, the Midnight Snack cherry tomato starts out green with dark purple shoulders, and slowly ripens to a deep red with purple shoulders. The trusses are long and heavily fruited, often with an attractive mix of ripe and unripe tomatoes.

This is a most delicious fresh-eating tomato and checks all the boxes: the skins are thin enough to bite through but sturdy enough to support their plumpness; the flavors are sweet and smoky and tomato-y; they’re small enough to pop right in your mouth for a snack, but can also easily be sliced in half or quarters for a green salad.

The plant kept on flowering and producing fruit, right through our sketchy fall, and still had edible tomatoes when we finally took down the plants in late October (I pickled the green tomatoes — delicious!).

This hybrid is definitely a winner and will be part of my 2024 tomato garden.

Details

• Brix: 10
• Type: Hybrid
• Growth Habit: Indeterminate

Sun Gold

The famous Sun Gold cherry tomato is known for its ultra sweet, fruity flavor and juicy, tender texture. It’s one of the most popular cherry tomato varieties, prized for its vibrant orange color and knockout taste.

It’s my second most favorite fresh-eating tomato. It’s beautiful, it’s prolific, and just dreamy to bite into.

The flavor of Sun Gold cherry tomatoes is often described as a balance of sweetness and acidity, with a tropical fruit-like taste with hints of mango or pineapple. It have a slightly tangy finish that adds to their overall complexity and makes them a popular choice for snacking and cooking alike.

In terms of texture, Sun Gold cherry tomatoes are typically very tender and juicy, with a thin skin that’s easy to bite through. The flesh is soft and delicate, with a pleasing burst of flavor in every bite.

The fact that Sun Gold is a hybrid tomato is almost surprising: heirloom tomatoes usually have the market cornered on superior flavor, but Sun Gold can hold its own against any heirloom. And it’s hybrid heritage makes it a hardier plant that’s more resistant to the diseases that take down tomatoes later in the season.

Details:

• Brix: 12
• Type: Hybrid
• Growth Habit: Indeterminate

Sunchocola

Sunchocola cherry tomatoes are a relatively new variety of cherry tomato known for their unique color and flavor. They are hybrids and have similar traits to the heirloom Chocolate Cherry.

The flavor of Sunchocola cherry tomatoes is often described as rich, sweet, and slightly tangy, with hints of chocolate and caramel undertones. This flavor profile is unique among cherry tomatoes and is a major selling point for this variety. Some people also describe the flavor as being somewhat smoky or earthy, which adds to its overall complexity.

Sunchocola cherry tomatoes have a lovely chocolate-mahogany color, inside and out and are beautiful on the vine.

In terms of texture, Sunchocola cherry tomatoes are typically very tender and juicy, with a thin skin that is easy to bite through. The flesh is soft and delicate, with a pleasing burst of flavor in every bite.

They are often described as having a more delicate texture than other cherry tomato varieties, which can make them a popular choice for salads and sandwiches.

In my area, Sunchocolas are usually available at the big box garden centers as a starter plant, so if you don’t feel like starting from seed this season and you can’t find a Black Cherry, this tomato is a lovely substitute.

Details:

• Brix: 9
• Type: Hybrid
• Growth Habit: Indeterminate

Super Sweet 100

The Super Sweet 100 cherry tomato lives up to its name with an incredibly sweet and juicy flavor that pops with every bite. It has a firm, meaty texture and a thin skin that makes it perfect for snacking or adding to salads.

This cherry tomato produces high yields of fruit throughout the growing season and is resistant to many common tomato diseases. Super Sweet 100 is a popular choice for home gardeners due to its ease of growing and its delicious, abundant harvests.

The Super Sweet 100 cherry tomato is actually related to the popular Sweet 100. In fact, the Super Sweet 100 is an improved hybrid version of the Sweet 100, with a higher sugar content and a firmer texture than its predecessor, while still maintaining the small size and abundant production of fruit.

Both varieties have similar growth habits, with indeterminate vines that require support and high yields of small, sweet fruit. However, the Super Sweet 100 is generally considered to have a sweeter and more intense flavor than the original Sweet 100.

Because of its popularity, Super Sweet 100 is usually pretty easy to find as a starter plant at big box garden centers.

Details:

• Brix: 10
• Type: Hybrid
• Growth Habit: Indeterminate

Violet Jasper

Violet Jasper cherry tomatoes are a beautiful heirloom variety of cherry tomato known for their striking deep mahogny color and complex flavor profile. The tomatoes ripen to a deep red, and the green stripes that are visible throughout all stages turn slightly golden irridescent upon ripening. Just gorgeous.

The flavor of Violet Jasper cherry tomatoes is complex and multidimensional, with hints of sweetness, acidity, and smoky or spicy undertones, which adds to its overall complexity. The sweetness is balanced by a pleasant acidity, which makes the flavor more interesting and refreshing.

In terms of texture, Violet Jasper cherry tomatoes are typically firm and meaty, with a slightly thicker skin than some other cherry tomato varieties, although the flesh is juicy and flavorful. This makes them great slicers for sandwiches and burgers. They’re also often used in salads, roasted, or grilled, and can add a vibrant burst of color to a summer snack tray.

Violet Jasper cherry tomatoes are one of my favorites to grow because they’re beautiful on and off the vine. Their striking color and complex flavor profile make them a great choice for the home cook.

Details:

• Brix: 9
• Type: Heirloom
• Growth Habit: Indeterminate

I hope you’ve enjoyed browsing this list. I have a deep passion for cherry tomatoes and love to experiment with new-to-me varieties. So, while I don’t grow them just for outstanding flavor, the ones that do have that quality make the must-have list year in and year out.